


Still inside

by Alja



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Soranort - Freeform, Yes - Romance!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-29
Updated: 2019-01-29
Packaged: 2019-10-18 14:09:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17582372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alja/pseuds/Alja
Summary: He stood there, unmoving, eyes closed. Kairi swallowed.“Sora?”His lips spread into a smile and Kairi's heart skipped – until she saw the grimace the smile morphed into and the golden eyes that appeared underneath his eyelashes.“Guess again, Princess.”





	Still inside

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to Disney/Square Enix. The BIGGEST thank you to PhoenixDowner because not only was I allowed to share this idea with her, she also helped me tons with the resolution to the story! Thank you, thank you so much for all of your support! ♥♥♥
> 
> I also kind of rushed this story so it's ready before KH3 kills all of my Soranort ideas (PLEASE refrain from posting spoilers if you're kind enough to review, thank you!)
> 
> Happy official Kingdom Hearts 3 release day :D (at least in Europe)
> 
> Please enjoy!

A strong gust of wind whipped across the badlands and Kairi quickly pulled her hood up, cradling her head with her arms as she pressed her cheek against the dirt ground and closed her eyes shut. She didn't know how long it took for the dust to settle; her muscles ached, the cuts on her arms burned and she was emotionally exhausted. Yet, she did her best to push herself up again as soon as she could with shaky legs, one hand pressed against a wound on her upper arm, and looked ahead, Destiny's Embrace appearing in her hand against her will upon the sight.

He stood there, unmoving, eyes closed. Kairi swallowed.

“Sora?”

His lips spread into a smile and Kairi's heart skipped – until she saw the grimace the smile morphed into and the golden eyes that appeared underneath his eyelashes.

“Guess again, Princess.”

A low growl sounded behind Kairi and she whipped her head around. Riku was kneeling on the ground, his hands clutching Braveheart as he leaned on it heavily to stay upright. His lips were drawn back, teeth exposed, and stared at Sora in anger before he let his glance flicker over to Kairi. Immediately, he struggled to get up on both of his feet again, but to no avail.

“Don't waste your strength, boy. It's over. Just give up.”

“You don't tell me anything!” Riku barked back and Kairi quickly walked in front of Riku, shielding his body.

“Kairi, you need to save yourself-”

“And abandon you two?!” She retorted immediately as she kept staring at Sora, not daring to leave him out of her sight. He summoned the cursed blade, the blade that had just sucked in all of his Seekers and nearly all of their friends – except for Riku and herself.

The X-Blade.

“Kairi, run, please!”

She couldn't run. Not when Riku and she were the only ones left to stop the madness. Not when Riku could barely move to defend himself. Not when she was the only person able to save Sora from Xehanort's clutches.

“Are you scared, little Princess?”

“You wish.”

It hurt to hear Sora speak like that. His voice was still the same, maybe a little deeper than usual. But the ridicule and mockery in it – it didn't suit him. It wasn't Sora. It was all Xehanort. Xehanort and his cursed piece of heart!

A tingle spread through her arm and she let her gaze drop from Sora-Xehanort for one second to look at her Keyblade.

_What if..?_

“We will end this, here and now. Join the X-Blade.”

“I won't. Not as long as Sora's still inside you!”

“Stupid girl,” Sora-Xehanort scoffed, “the boy is gone.”

“No.”

Kairi dismissed her Keyblade and heard Riku protest behind her, but she took a shaky step forward. It was the only way.

“I won't let him go. I won't let _you_ go, Sora!” She took another step forward and Sora-Xehanort's hand twitched – the hand that wore a ring that matched the one on her own ring finger perfectly.

“Sora, please. I know you're in there!”

“He's gone,” Sora-Xehanort snarled now, “smothered by my Darkness!”

“Prove it! I dare you!”

He raised his eyebrow in mock-consideration.

“Oh? A deal with a Princess of Heart? Fascinating. Pray tell, how do you _dare_ me?”

“Kiss me.”

At this, Sora-Xehanort's sneer slipped from his face.

“I beg your pardon?”

“Kiss me and tell me you're not Sora.”

He quickly recovered to Kairi's disappointment, and another distorted grin began to mar his face.

“Is that all you have left? A _kiss_? This is not a fairytale and this vessel is not a prince.”

“Then you shouldn't have a problem with letting me try,” Kairi retorted and decidedly got in his personal space. From the corner of her eyes, she saw him ball his fist, once, twice, before he shrugged his shoulders.

“Alright.”

“A-alright?!”

“Try me,” he confirmed, “I'll show you that all that is left of the dull ordinary boy is your memory of him. I have nothing to fear.”

Kairi took a shaky breath as doubt started to fill her hear. What if Xehanort was right? What if Sora was truly gone? They had fought so hard, and yet...

No, she decided. She couldn't give up before she tried. If he was still inside, she could save him.

She looked into his eyes. Golden, beautiful in their own way, but nothing compared to the original. They were dull and lifeless where the original blue sparkled with life.

Kairi raised a trembling hand and brushed Sora's bangs away.

She shouldn't feel so nervous, right? She had kissed Sora before. Sure, their relationship was new and they had barely had one day before duty called them back to the fight, but still? This was Sora. She knew him nearly all of her life.

Except that she didn't know _this_ Sora.

Carefully, the tips of her fingers touched his jaw and angled his head downwards. She quickly cradled his face in her hands and felt Sora-Xehanort flinch lightly upon the contact – upon contact with her ring, Kairi noted – but she held onto him, her thumbs now gently stroking the pronounced bags under his eyes.

He had never looked _so_ tired.

Sora-Xehanort stared down at her, his eyes unmoving and void of any emotion. Yet his breathing had slowed and deepened since Kairi started touching him, and she took it as a good sign. He was still in there. Slowly, Kairi raised to her tip-toes, knees violently shaking from the exertion, but she pushed through, brushing her nose against her boyfriend's, lips barely touching.

“I love you, Sora. Please, come back to me.”

Her lips met his, slowly, gently, a featherlight touch. And yet, it was all Sora, his smell, his warmth, his _lips_ , and Kairi couldn't suppress the urge to draw closer to him as she let her hands run down his neck and over his shoulders to the back of his head where she locked them together, her chest pressing against Sora's.

He moaned against her lips.

Suddenly, a pair of strong arms grabbed Kairi's hips and pulled her closer to the boy as his lips started reciprocating the kiss, first slow and gentle, but gradually growing deeper, more intimate, more sensual. She felt Sora press her flush against his body and for a moment, it was easy to forget herself in this. After all, it was all she had ever wanted, something that had been within her grasp for a wonderful day before reality had caught up with them and returned them from being lovers to being comrades in battle. And now...

Tears pooled out of her eyes when she opened them, longing to see the blue in Sora's eyes again, but he had shut his eyes tightly, brows furrowed in concentrating as if he was fighting hard to keep control over the parasite in his heart.

 _Now_ , Kairi thought and dove in one last time, kissing Sora as deeply and filled with as much love as possible before she took hold of Sora's shoulders and pushed him away, keeping him at an arm's length. Sora opened his eyes, confused, and she saw them – crystal blue eyes. Flickering to gold and back. A fresh set of tears rolled down her cheeks.

It was the only way. She had to release the piece of Xehanort's heart that was wedged deep inside of him. She was no Keyblade Master and she didn't have the Keyblade of Hearts, filled with the power of the Princesses of Heart, but she had her Keyblade and her own Princess of Heart powers. And they were what she filled her Keyblade with before trying to unlock Sora's heart to save him. It was a gamble, she knew it, but it was the only chance she had with everyone having been sucked into the X-Blade and Riku injured heavily.

“I love you,” Kairi choked out as she was barely able to breathe through her sobs. She summoned Destiny's Embrace and pointed it at his heart. “Please forgive me.”

And she plunged it deep inside.

Fear filled Kairi's heart when she saw the light – or what was left of it – drain from Sora-Xehanort's eyes. Darkness dripped out of the wound, collecting at their feet, thick and gelatinous, before it seemed to seep into the soil. The dark bags under his eyes lightened up immediately and Sora's skin flushed healthily for a second before the glow disappeared and it started to look ashen. It was only when he slumped into her arms and took her with him to the ground, unmoving and lifeless that Kairi realized something was amiss.

“Sora?”

She repositioned his upper body in a way that allowed Sora's head to rest in the crook of Kairi's elbow and gently shook the boy.

“Sora!”

He didn't move. Kairi reached for Sora's right hand, the one wearing the counterpart to Kairi's ring, and she held onto it with the hand that was wearing his ring's counterpart as well.

“Sora!”

No. No, no, no, no, no. This can't be happening.

“Sora!”

A desperate wail escaped her lips and she pulled Sora's hand closer, against her chest, and clutched it tightly, desperately as her tears fell freely once again. She heard something shift next to her and Riku slowly appeared in the corner of her eye. He was barely able to keep his balance as he crawled over to them and took a look at Sora's lifeless body.

“No...”

Riku let himself slump to the ground and leaned heavily against Kairi as he used one hand to shake Sora's shoulder gently

“Come on, Sora!” Riku begged him, his voice cracking,“I thought you were stronger than that!”

But Sora just lay there motionlessly, blue eyes wide open and empty.

“Please... no!”

No amount of pleading helped and Kairi felt Riku crumble even more into himself. As silent sobs started to shake his body, he pressed his face into her shoulder blade, dampening the material of her dress. Not that Kairi had the mind to notice it when a sudden realization plagued her thoughts.

She had killed Sora. She had rid him of Xehanort, but she had ultimately _killed_ _Sora_.

Another anguished scream escaped her throat and she pulled Sora close as she felt her heart shattering into a thousand pieces.

Her fault. It was all her fault.

“Sora, please,” she begged him, pressing a chaste kiss on his lips, “please Sora, wake up.” Her view became blurred and she felt another surge of hot tears threaten to spill over before she buried her head in his chest and sobbed, squeezing his hand tightly.

“Please! Come back to me!”

Something squeezed back.

Kairi nearly missed it with her heart aching in every way humanly possible, but she rose from Sora's chest and furiously rubbed the tears out of her eyes to see clearer.

Sora held her hand. The hand that had been lying lifelessly on the dirt below just a few minutes ago was holding hers. And his eyes – his eyes were closed and a small smile graced his lips.

“Riku?!”

She felt him pull away from her back and shuffle a little bit before he sat up straight to look at her with bloodshot eyes.

“Sora,” was all Kairi said before motioning at her boyfriend in her arms. Riku gasped and grapped Sora's shoulders again, shaking them gently first, then with a little more force. Nothing.

“Why won't he wake up?”

That's when understanding flickered through Riku's eyes.

“He can't wake up,” he explained slowly, carefully as Kairi started shaking with grief, “because his heart is asleep. But if his heart is asleep, that means he's safe and,” he looked back at Sora, “that _I_ can go and wake him up.”

Kairi stopped breathing for a second and hugged Sora tighter.

“Are you sure?”

“Positive,” Riku replied, and the first, genuine smile in hours spread on his lips. He rubbed his nose and sniffled a little. “You see his stupid smile like he has no care in the world? That's what he looked like last time when I woke him up. I can do it, Kairi. I'll bring him back to you.”

“Riku,” Kairi looked at him in concern. “Look at you. You can barely hold yourself together, much less stand or wield your Keyblade. It's too dangerous.”

“It's not dangerous,” Riku disagreed, shaking his head lightly until he winced and reached for a wound on his temple. He shrunk even more under Kairi's scrutinizing glance. “Look, it's going to be exhausting, but it's completely safe. You rid him of Xehanort's heart. I know because if you hadn't, I'd still be able to feel him in Sora.”

Riku scooted back as far as his legs allowed him to and tried to stand up – only to have his arms buckle underneath his torso. Kairi sighed and shifted Sora until his head was resting securely in her lap before summoning Destiny's Embrace. She shuddered a little bit – after all, she had just used the blade to stab her boyfriend.

“Let me at least run some cures over you. I've recovered enough.”

“Don't overexert yourself, Kairi,” Riku warned her, but his eyes were full of gratitude, “you have to keep him safe. And if Sora sees you fainted once he wakes up, he'll have my head.”

“Oh shush,” Kairi replied with a smile that felt foreign to her even though it hadn't been even a full day since she smiled the last time. She raised her Keyblade and cast several cures on Riku, some stronger, some weaker, but in the end he could stand up without leaning on his Keyblade, although his knees still shook with every step.

Braveheart materialized in Riku's outstretched hand and he moved the Keyblade around, summoning a strange looking portal right in front of Sora and Kairi.

“We'll be back, soon.”

When she was alone, Kairi let her eyes fall down to the boy in her arms. Thankfully he had closed his eyes – the sight of the lifeless blue in them would haunt her for the rest of her life – and Riku was right. He smiled as if he had no care in the world.

“You idiot,” Kairi told him lovingly and brushed his bangs away from his forehead, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too, Kairi.”

Kairi gasped as Sora's eyes fluttered open, first a little disoriented until they finally found hers. The smile on his lips widened.

“Sora!”

Not hesitating a second, Kairi pulled Sora up to lean against her as she wrapped her arms around him.

“I'm so sorry,” she cried loudly, relief flooding through her body when she felt Sora hug her back with his usual strength, “I wanted to save you, but I killed-”

“You saved me,” Sora interrupted her and stroked the back of her head tenderly, “if you hadn't unlocked my heart, Xehanort would still wreak havoc inside of it. And it wasn't your fault – you did everything right,” he tried to calm her as Kairi failed to catch her breath in between sobs, “it was Xehanort's fault I couldn't wake up. His heart had infiltrated mine, trying to splinter it into tiny pieces. You pulled him out of my heart, but Xehanort had left it with many wounds.” He pulled back and let a hand gently run over Kairi's arm, touching countless bruises and cuts on it. She shuddered upon the contact. “Just like I left you with many wounds.” Sora frowned and let his head hang low. “If anyone has to apologize, it's me. I hurt you and Riku.”

“Xehanort hurt us,” a third voice replied and Sora and Kairi both looked up in surprise as Riku stumbled out of Sora's heart portal and fell to his knees.

“Riku!”

“I'm fine,” Riku waved off as he took a sharp breath, “Just... tired. But we can't rest, yet. The others are counting on us. Xehanort hurt them more than he hurt us.”

Immediately, Kairi grew somber. That was right. The X-Blade. Their other friends were still stuck in it. They had to destroy it and release their friends. She threw a glance back at Sora, realizing that he was regarding her as well.

“One last rumble together?”

Riku chuckled and Kairi nodded with conviction in her eyes.

“One last rumble together.”

 


End file.
